Keyboard perforator



July 13, 1943. R. A. LAKE 2,323,921

' KEYBOARD PERFORAI'OR Original Filed Sept. 20, 1940 FIG.

I INVENTOR. R055 A. LAKE BY, 250mm Patented July 13, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE Corporation, Chicago,

Delaware Ill., a corporation of Original application September 20, 1940, Serial No. 357,563. Divided and this application November 1, 1941, Serial No. 417,579

20 Claims.

This invention relates to record perforating for telegraph purposes and more particularly to keyboard actuated mechanism for perforating control tape for telegraph transmitters.

This is a divisional application of Ross A. Lake application Serial No. 357,563, filed September 20, 1940.

An object of this invention is to provide a less abrupt and more precisely operative tape feeding mechanism for a tape perforating device.

The invention features the partial separation of the tape feeding cycle from the restorational cycle of the operating bail for the punch pins. In feeding mechanisms of this type already known in the art it has sometimes been the custom to associate the feed mechanism directly with the punch hammer, in such a way that they are mechanically united and travel through the perforating and feeding cycles simultaneously. In such a design the kinetic energy of the punch hammer created by means of its restoring spring in effecting the return movement of the heavy hammer from its perforating position is transmitted directly to the feed pawl and feed roll and, because of the magnitude of this energy, may under certain circumstances have a tendency to shear the feed pawl or teeth on the feed roll or cause the holding ratchet on the feed roll shaft to overtravel its detent resulting in an overfeed of the tape. the feeding mechanism and the punch hammer are not mechanically united but rather each may operate, for at least a portion of its return movement from its respective operating position, independently of the other. return movements, the relatively high kinetic energy of the punch hammer is not transmitted to the feeding mechanism and hence, that mechanism will not be subjected to high shearing, forces, the tendency of the feed wheel ratchet to overtravel its detent will be reduced, and the wear on the feeding mechanism as a whole will be lessened.

The invention also features means to disengage the feed pawl from the feed roll at the lower end of the feed pawl travel. With this structure, it is possible to eliminate the usual backspace cam such as cam member 338 shown in Fig. 13 of the Krum et al. Patent No. 2,024,006 dated December 10, 1935.

A more complete understanding of the invention may be had from the following description, read in connection with the accompanying draw- The perforator transmitter disclosed in the In the proposed arrangement By separating these drawing is of the type shown in Patent No. 1,965,572, granted to C. W. Burcky et al. and reference may be had to that patent for a more complete disclosure of the details of the perforator transmitter. For the sake of uniformity, applicant has adopted the same numbering system for the drawing as appears in applicants copending application, Ross A. Lake Serial No. 357,563 filed September 20, 1940. Referring now more particularly to the drawing there is shown a keyboard I and its base casting 2. A plurality of key levers l is supported upon a pivot rod (not shown) and each key lever is provided with a keytop 3. The pivot rod extends transversely of the casting 2. There is a spring (not shown) associated with each key lever, as is the usual practice, to maintain the key levers in their normal bank position.

Toward the front of the casting and disposed beneath the key levers 4 there is provided a plurality of pairs of permutation bars 6. The permutation bars are fully disclosed in U. S. Patent No, 1,884,753, to which reference may be had for a complete understanding of the details thereof. The particular number of permutation bars necessary is dependent upon the particular code employed. The structure disclosed in the drawing is adapted to employ the five unit code and consequently a corresponding number of pairs of permutation bars is provided. Each pair of permutation bars comprises a bar I and a bar 8. Each of these bars is provided with a pair of vertical slots 9 by means of which the respective bars are associated on combs Ill carrying rods l l which extend transversely of permutation bars 7 and 8. With such an arrangement the individual bars of a permutation pair may move vertically but are held restrained from any horizontal movement.

There is associated with each pair of permutation bars rock arms l2 mounted on transverse rods II. The rock arms l2 are substantially T- shaped, with their free ends formed with offset lugs on opposite sides of the pivot rod II and spaced some distance therefrom. One of the lugs '01? each rock arm projects forwardly into a notch on the lower edge of the corresponding permutation bar 7, and its other lug projects rearwardly beneath the companion permutation bar 8. With this arrangement the depression of either permutation bar of the pair of bars 6 rocks the arms I2 and lifts the companion permutation bar. Pivotally articulated to the depending portion of the T-shaped rock arms I2 is a longitudinally movable permutation bar 13. When a permutation bar of any pair is depressed through the action of the key lever, the rock arms l2 will be rocked about their pivots H thus moving the longitudinal permutation bar I3 either to thf right or left, as viewed in the drawing.

Each of the key levers 4 is arranged, when operated, to engage and depress one of the permutation bars of each pair of permutation bars 6 and to set these bars in accordance with a character code combination. For the accomplishment of this result, the upper edges of the permutation bars 1 and 8 are notched to provide high and low portions in accordance with the particular code. Also, the bars of each pair of permutation bars are complementary; that is, the notches of one bar are opposite the projections of its companion bar. The interconnection between the bars of each pair of bars 6 by means of the rock arms l2 prevents the simultaneous depression of two key levers. If an attempt is made to operate more than one key lever, the key levers can only be depressed for a short distance when they will be blocked by the high portions of the permutation bars. By such construction, the simultaneous depression of two key levers and the transmission of an incorrect signal is prevented.

The perforator unit comprises a casting 20 associated by means of an interconnecting member 2| with the casting 2 of the transmitter keyboard. A perforating magnet 22 is suitably housed with in the casting 20 and has associated with it an armature lever 23 carrying an armature 41. Reference may be had to U. S. Patent No. 2,190,309 granted to C. W. Burcky for a specific and detailed description of an armature lever which is suitable for use in the perforator unit. This armature lever 23, as will be more fully explained hereinafter, serves as the punch hammer and is pivoted on rock shaft 24. A comb portion 25 also secured to rock shaft 24 is associated with the armature and serves as 'a guide for the slidable interponents 26. The interponent bar 21 is provided for the feed hole punch element and is pivotally secured to the interconnecting member 2|. Co-operating with the feed hole punch interponent is a rib member 28 secured to the armature lever. Through its engagement with rib 28, the feed hole punch interponent 21 is held in a more elevated position than any of the other interponent members 25. A retaining member (not shown) is arranged above the interponent bars and is spring urged against interponent 2'1. Due to the fact that interponent 21 is always slightly higher than interponents 26, the sliding movement of the latter is not impeded by the retaining member. One interponent 26 is operatively associated with each of the pairs of permutation bars which position the slidable interponents. This association is through a pivotally mounted lever 29 pivoted at 33 and articulated to the interponent 26, and a link 3i pivotally connected betwen lever 29 and its corresponding permutation bar IS.

The means for feeding the tape in synchronism with the punching operation will now be described: A pawl carrying member 32 is pivotally mounted upon the perforator frame at 33 and at its forward end 34 is in abutting relation with the armature lever. A feed pawl 35 is pivotally mounted on lever 32 and is provided with a projecting tooth portion 36 and a cam projection 31. A spring 38, connected to feed pawl 35 and to the perforator frame at 39, tends normally to rotate feed pawl 35 in a clockwise direction as viewed in the figure which would be into its feeding position. When the magnet 22 is de-energized, the armature lever is in its normal position resting against a stop 4| and pivoted lever 32 is held in its lowermost postion in engagement with armature lever 23 under the influence of spring 33. Through the cooperation of cam projection 31 on feed pawl 35 with a cam projection 42, the feed pawl is normally held. out of engagement with feed wheel 40. When the armature lever 23 is rotated clockwise under the influence of ma net 22, pivoted lever 32 is rocked counterclockwise and elevates feed pawl 35 against the tension of spring 38. Upon de-energization of the punch magnet 22, the armature will be restored to normal, as will be hereinafter explained, and the spring 38, acting upon feed pawl 35 will return the feed pawl and pivot lever 32 into abutting relation with the armature lever 23. This return movement of the pawl is in a downward direction and rotates feed wheel 40 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in the figure, to feed a perforated tape by the engagement of feed teeth 43 with the feeding perforations in the tape.

Provision is made to disable the feeding pawl after a predetermined travel of the pawl on its feeding stroke. For this purpose an adjustable cam element 42 is mounted upon the punch assembly and the distance of the cam section 42 from the punch assembly may be varied by means of an adjusting screw 43. On the return movement of feed pawl 35 under the influence of its restoring spring 38, the cam surface 37 of the feed pawl will engage with the cam member 42 and effect a disengagement of the feed pawl from the feed wheel 40 by rotating the pawl counterclockwise about its pivot on lever 32 so that this pawl will not interfere with the backspacing operation. This obviates the necessity of providing a backspace cam to disengage the pawl and feed roll when it is desired to backspace.

A feed pawl guide plate 48 is adjustably secured to the casting of the punch unit. This plate is provided with a slot 44 through which the feed pawl is adapted to extend. The end of slot 48, which is just above feed roll 40, limits the clockwise rotation of pawl 35 about its pivot and prevents the feed pawl from skipping a tooth on the feed wheel in the feeding cycle, while the opposite end of the slot limits the counterclockwise rotation of pawl 35 when, due to the cooperation of cam surfaces 31 and 42, it is disengaged from the feed wheel.

The punch assembly comprises a punch casting 50 associated with which are apertured guide plates 5| and 52. There is also provided a die plate 53 the aperture of which is in alignment with the guide apertures of plates 5| and 52. Punch elements 54 are supported within the punch casting and are adapted to travel through the guide apertures provided in plates 5| and 52 and be presented into punching association with the die plate 53 to effect the perforation of a tape 55. Two restoring springs 56 (only one of which is shown) in cooperation with a guide plate operate a stripper plate 51 to restore the punch elements to their normal position, that is, withdrawn from the path of travel of the tape, upon de-energization of the punch magnet 22 and upon the return of the armature lever 23 to its normal position. The punch elements its normal position even though the pawl may 54 carry depending portions 58 adapted to be engaged by their associated interponents 26 upon the energization of the punch magnet 22 when the interponents through their associated permutation bars have been guided to the extreme leftward position, as viewed in the figure. This interengagement of the armature lever, interponents, and dependent portions 58 of the punch elements 54 provides for the punching or perforating stroke of the punching elements 54.

As afore-mentioned, the interponent 21 for the feed hole punch element is always held slightly elevated above the interponents by the rib 28 to allow the interponents 26 to travel beneath the retaining member (not shown) and, since the interponents are clear of the punch projections when armature lever 23 is not attracted by magnet 22, the interponents may slide due to the actuation of a key lever 4.

With the punch magnet 22 de-energized, a key may be depressed thereby depressing its associated key lever 4 into engagement with the pairs of permutation bars 6. As explained above, the depression of a key lever 4 will selectively condition the pairs of permutation bars 5 and through the rocking movement of the rock arms |2 selectively position the longitudinal permutation bars |3 associated with the pairs of permutation bars 6 either to the right or left as viewed in the figure. levers 29, the movements of the permutation bars l3 will be transmitted to their respective interponents 26 and position those interponents either to the left, that is, in operative relation with respect to the punch elements 54, or to the right, out of operative relation with respect to the punch elements. Upon the energization of magnet 22 to perform a perforating operation, the armature lever 23 which operates the punch hammer will be rotated in a clockwise direction until it arrives into abutting relation with the second armature stop member 45. This movement of the armature lever will effect the perforating stroke of those punch elements whose associated interponents 26 are in operative relation with the respective punch elements. The operation of the punch elements into their punching position is, of course, against the force of restoring springs 56 of the punches and, hence, the armature lever is subject to the tension of springs 55 of the punch elements which tend to return the armature lever 23 to its inoperative position. In its clockwise rotation the armature lever 23 by means of its abutting relationship with tape feed lever 32 elevates the feed pawl 35 into feeding position against the force of spring 38.

Upon de-energization of punch magnet 22, the armature lever 23 receives a restoring impulse from both the restoring springs of the punch elements 54 through the interponents 28-21 and the restoring spring 38 of the feed pawl 35. Since the pawl carrying lever 32 overlaps the armature lever 23, the pawl carrying lever 32 and armature lever 23 start on their return movement together. In its downward movement, feed pawl 35 engages feed wheel 48 to feed the tape 55 by the engagement of feed teeth 46 on the feed roll with the feed perforations invariably provided in the tape through the operation of the feed hole punch element. This engagement, however, retards the return movement of pawl 35. At this time, the armature lever has acquired considerable speed in its return travel and, due to its momentum, the armature lever will carry on to Through the system of links 3| and be retarded. It will thus be seen that the tape feeding cycle is completed independently of the punch operating cycle.

Spring 38 will be effective to complete the return travel of feed pawl 35 and reposition the pawl carrying lever 32 into abutting relation with armature 23. In the return stroke of feed pawl 35 its cam projection 31 is brought into engagement with cam element 42 to disable the feed mechanism after the feed of a predetermined amount of tape; that is, upon a predetermined travel of the feed pawl 35 on its feeding stroke. At the completion of the feed stroke of pawl 35, pivoted lever 32 is again in abutting relation with the armature lever 23 which is resting upon its stop 4|.

To control the transmitter which is associated with the perforating unit through the keyboard mechanism, each permutation bar I3 is provided with an upstanding bifurcated member 88. Interposed between the arms of the bifurcation is a depending arm of a locking latch 8| pivotally mounted on a rod 82. By means of this arrangement, the locking latches 8| are adapted to be positioned in either a locking or unlocking position in accordance with the movement of their respective longitudinal permutation bars l3. Associated with the locking latches 8| there is provided a series of contact levers 83 (only one of which is shown) for making and breaking individual contacts 84. The contact levers 83 cooperate with individual contact cams 85 mounted on a transmitting shaft 86, which is provided with a suitable clutch mechanism controlled in turn by a clutch throwout lever in a well-known manner. A locking loop 89 controlled by a cam 98 carried on the transmitting shaft 86 is adapted through cooperation with an upstanding lug 9| on the locking latches 8| to hold the locking latches in their selected positions.

In the operation of the transmitting unit, the depression of a key lever 4 moves the permutation bars I and 8 permutably in accordance with I a predetermined code combination, the setting of which, through permutation bars l3 determines the position of the locking latches 8|. The rotation of the contact cams 85 is initiated substantially simultaneously with the setting of the locking latches 8|, through the instrumentality of a trip-off member, and the locking loop 89 controlled by cam 98, is permitted to rotate in a counterclockwise direction to lock the latches 8| in their selected positions. The setting of the latches 8| determines whether the contact levers 83 shall or shall not be affected by their associated cams 85 to transmit, through contacts 84, over a signal line to the receiving station a predetermined code combination of signaling impulses. The respective notches in the cams 85 are arranged in helical progression so that upon the rotation of the cam assembly, the contacts, 84 controlled by levers 83 will be operated successively. The apparatus herein disclosed is operated in accordance with an equal length letter code, in which each code combination is a permutation of marking and spacing conditions, and is preceded by a start impulse and followed by a stop impulse according to the familiar start-stop system.

The keyboard mechanism shown in the figure is similar to that described and shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,965,602, granted to R. A. 'Lake. With the mechanism shown in the said patent, it is desired in some instances to transmit directly to a line circuit code combinations of impulses representative of the character keys operated, while in other instances it may be more practical first to perforate a tape in accordance with the keys operated, and then to transmit subsequently the signal corresponding thereto by passing the tape through a tape transmitter. To provide for the several possible conditions of operation of the mechanism, a switch is arranged in the keyboard apparatus to control the transmission of impulses directly to the line circuit, the perforation of a tape only, or the operation of the transmitting distributor and the perforator simultaneously.

To control these various operations, a keyboard control lever is provided which is pivoted at illl adjacent to the transmitting distributor and which assumes three positions; namely, an upper position T, a middle position M, and a lower position L, and is held in these respective positions through the cooperation of a locking bracket I02. The keyboard control lever is provided with a bifurcated end which is adapted to control contacts which in turn control the energization of the punch magnet 22 in response to the depression of a key lever 4 as more particularly described in Patent No. 1,965,572 to Burcky et al. The position of the keyboard control lever indi cated T is known as the keyboard position and is a position wherein direct keyboard transmission of signals to the line is effected; that is, each time a key lever is operated, the transmitting cam drum is rotated a single revolution to transmit a code combination of signals through contacts 34 to the line. In this position, the circuit to the printing magnet 22 remains interrupted during the operation of the keyboard mechanism.

The position of switch member I00, indicated as M is known as the "tape and keyboard position and is that condition of the apparatus wherein the perforator and transmitter mechanisms are operated simultaneously. In this condition the circuit to the punch magnet 22 is adapted to be closed during each cycle of transmission wherein a character is transmitted across the signal line.

The position of the keyboard control lever indicated as L is known as the tape position, and in this position all of the contacts in the punch magnet circuit are conditioned so that upon the depression of any key lever which also affects the depression of a universal bar (not shown) the circuit to the punch magnet will be completed and the magnet energized to insure the operation of the perforating unit. However, as will be hereinafter explained, the transmitting cam will not be rotated upon the depression of a key lever when the keyboard control lever I90 is in this lowermost posiiton and, hence, there results perforator operation only.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described in the foregoing spec-iiication and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment shown and described, but is capable of modification and rearrangement without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tape perforator, a perforating punch, a punch hammer, means to operate said punch hammer, and means longitudinally reciprocated for feeding a tape and operatively associated with said punch hammer for a portion only of the feeding cycle.

2. In a tape perforator, a perforating punch, a punch hammer, means to operate said punch hammer, means longitudinally reciprocated for feeding a tape, both of said means being operatively associated for a portion of their respective cycles, and means for completing the feeding cycle independently of said punch hammer.

3. In a tape perforator, a perforating punch, a punch hammer, means to operate said hammer, a longitudinally reciprocated feed pawl operated directly by said hammer, and a feed roll associated with said pawl to feed a tape, said feed pawl being operatively associated with the said punch hammer for a portion only of the feeding cycle.

4. In a tape perforator, a perforating punch, a perforating magnet, a punch hammer including the armature of said perforating magnet, and longitudinally reciprocated means for feeding a tape operatively associated with said punch hammer for a portion only of the feeding cycle.

5. In a tape perforator, a perforating punch, a punch hammer, means to operate said hammer, longitudinally reciprocated means for feeding a tape operatively associated with and directly operated by said punch hammer for a portion only of the feeding cycle, and means for enabling the individual restoration of said punch hammer and said feeding means.

6. In a tape perforator, a perforating punch, a perforating magnet, a punch hammer including the armature of said perforating magnet, a feed roll, and a feed pawl associated with said roll to feed a tape, said feed pawl and said punch hammer being operatively associated for a portion only of the feeding cycle.

7. In a tape perforator, a perforating punch, a perforating magnet, a punch hammer including the armature of said perforating magnet, a feed roll, and a feed pawl associated with said roll to feed a tape, said feed pawl and said punch hammer being operatively associated for a portion of the feeding cycle, and means to complete the feeding cycle independently of said punch hammer.

8. In a tape perforator, a perforating punch, a punch hammer, means to operate said hammer, means for feeding a tape, both of said means being operatively associated for a portion of their respective cycles, and means for disabling said feeding means at the completion of the feeding cycle.

9. In a tape perforator, a perforating punch, a punch hammer, means to operate said hammer, a feed roll, a feed pawl associated with said roll to feed a tape, said feed pawl and said punch hammer being operatively associated for a portion of the feeding cycle, and means for disengaging said feed pawl from said feed roll at the completion of the feeding cycle.

10. In a tape perforator, a perforating punch, a perforating magnet, a punch hammer including the armature of said perforating magnet, a feed roll, a feed pawl associated with said roll to feed a tape, said feed pawl and said punch hammer being operatively associated for a portion of the feeding cycle, means for completing the feeding cycle independently of said punch hammer, and means for disengaging said feed pawl from said feed roll at the completion of the feeding cycle.

11. In a perforator, a perforating punch, a perforating magnet, a punch hammer including the armature of said perforating magnet, a feed roll, a feed pawl associated with said roll to feed a tape, said feed pawl and said punch hammer be ing operatively associated for a portion of the feeding cycle, means to complete the feeding cycle independently of the punch hammer, and means for disengaging said feed pawl from said feed roll after feeding the tape.

12. In a perforator, a perforating punch, a punch hammer, means to operate said hammer, a feed roll, a feed pawl associated with said roll to feed a tape, said feed pawl being operated di-v rectly by and during a portion only of the feeding cycle by said punch hammer, and spring means to complete said feeding cycle, said spring means being ineffective until said punch hammer com mences its return stroke to complete the perforating cycle.

13. In a perforator, a perforating punch, a per forating magnet, a punch hammer including the armature of said perforating magnet, means for feeding a tape operated through a portion of its feeding cycle by said punch hammer upon the energization of said punch magnet, and means for completing the feeding cycle independently of the punch hammer.

14. In a perforator, a perforating punch, a perforating magnet, a punch hammer including the armature of said perforating magnet, means for feeding a tape operated through a portion only of its feeding cycle by said punch hammer upon the energization of said punch magnet, and means for completing the feeding cycle, said last mentioned means being ineffective until the punch magnet is de-energized.

15. In a strip perforating and feeding mechanism, a perforating instrumentality, a strip feeding instrumentality, a common actuator for said instrumentalities, an electromagnetic means to operate said actuator, said actuator being operatively associated with said strip feeding means during a portion only of the strip feeding operation, and means for enabling the completion of said strip feeding operation by said instrumentality independently of said actuator.

16. In a strip feeding mechanism, a strip feeding means, an instrumentality for operating said means, a longitudinally reciprocating actuator for initiating the operation of said instrumentality, means to operate said actuator, said actuator being operatively associated with said instrumentality during a portion only of the strip feeding operation, and means for enabling the completion of said strip feed operation by said instrumentality independently of said actuator.

17. In a strip feeding device, a strip feeding means, an instrumentality for operating said means, longitudinally reciprocating means to op erate said instrumentality during a portion only of its strip feeding operation, and means to enable the completion of said feeding operation by said instrumentality independently of said operating means.

18. In a strip feeding device, a strip feeding means, an instrumentality having a longitudinal forward and return stroke for operating said means, means having a corresponding longitudinal forward and return stroke for operating said instrumentality, and means for enabling the independent completion of the respective return strokes of said instrumentality and said operating means.

19. In a strip feeding mechanism, a strip feeding means, an instrumentality for operating said means, a longitudinally reciprocating means to operate said instrumentality during a portion only of its strip feeding operation, an electromagnet for operating said reciprocating means, and means for enabling the completion of said feeding operation by said instrumentality independently of said reciprocating means.

20. In a strip feeding mechanism, a strip feeding means, an instrumentality for operating said means, an electromagnet, an armature controlled by said electromagnet for directly operating said instrumentality, and means for enabling the comp etion of said feeding operation by said instrumentality independently of said armature.

ROSS A. LAKE. 

